KGS newsletter November 2014

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY PARADEThis year being the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War, the remembrance parade in Kingston was particularly special. As such, a healthy contingent of 16 cadets of both sections and all ranks met at school with neatly pressed trousers, perfectly moulded berets, and boots shiny enough to see the mayor of Kingston’s face in.

We marched off through Kingston, with everybody managing to keep in time right up until the twisty and narrow section leading into the memorial gardens. The Act of Remembrance passed without a hitch, with the KGS wreath being laid on the memorial by the newly promoted C/Sgt Hugo Lockyer.

FROM THE HEAD PAGE 2 K INGSTON REVUE PAGES 1 4 - 15

NEWSLETTERNOVEMBER 2014 www.kgs.org.uk

ANTHONY ANDERSON PAGE 8

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FROM THE HEAD MASTER

Follow Mr Lehec @kgsheadmaster

One truly remarkable and emotional story has hit the headlines and created quite a stir in the last few days. I am not referring to either Dr Mike Sewell’s letter to all schools detailing Cambridge University’s preference regarding AS levels, or the launch of the latest John Lewis Christmas advert complete with soon-to-be number 1 hit and toy. Both of these did cause equal but entirely opposite emotional reactions in me. I am, of course, referring to the Tower of London’s magnificent Blood Red Land and Seas of Red installation.

Along with thousands of others my family and I made our way to see this great spectacle of art and remembrance created by thousands of volunteers under the direction of artist Paul Cummins. We were all prepared to be in awe of the sight but I do not think that many of us could have quite imagined how moved and touched we would be by this area, equivalent to sixteen football pitches, as a physical representation of the 888,246 UK and Commonwealth lives lost in the conflict that the flower of Flanders’ fields represents. It perhaps made us all the more proud to see the

respect shown in both junior and senior remembrance assemblies, wonderfully led and conducted by the staff and cadets of the KGS CCF, as we remembered all of the fallen with particular attention paid to the staff and students of Kingston Grammar School whose names are etched on our war memorial in the School Hall. We will remember them.Over the next few days and weeks I am looking forward to renewing my attempts to meet everyone in the KGS community with the onset of parents’ evenings, at which I shall be speaking, introducing myself to those I am yet to meet and sharing some of our actions and thoughts for the future at KGS. In the meantime it has continued to be a pleasure to see so many students, staff and parents actively engaged in school life. Last week was one of the widest variety as we welcomed and enjoyed seeing and listening to the Maggini string quartet, concert pianist Andreas Boyde and the many performing students (and staff!) at the Kingston Revue. The last was a wonderful, sell-out celebration of dance, drama and music that amply demonstrated both the talent and the fun that exists in our school.Sport has been no less vibrant and

successful with some very good results in rowing and in golf but you will also be delighted to read of the great success of our hockey teams at U14, U16 and U18. Special congratulations must go to Ronan Harvey-Kelly, Zac Wallace, Owen Williamson, Ellie de Heer and Holly Munro in being selected for the England Hockey Assessment Camp, and to Eva Gray, who has been selected for the England Women’s Development Programme for cricket at U15 level. This is going to keep them busy for quite a while in the weeks ahead, and we are exceptionally proud of their achievement and wish them luck as they progress.I do hope that you enjoy the accounts and images of life at KGS over the last month contained within and I look forward to seeing more of you soon.

Stephen LehecHead Master

KGS Newsletter AUTUMN 2014 3

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY PARADE (CONT. FROM FRONT PAGE)After the Act of Remembrance, we and the other units marched to the church for the Service of Remembrance, a moving ceremony featuring a sermon on the questions raised by warfare delivered by the Bishop of Kingston, who is himself an OK. There followed the most testing part of the proceedings: the march past. For this, we had thankfully managed to position ourselves in front of the police cadets, while the sun, which by chance had appeared and made for a rather pleasant temperature by November’s standards, was now directly in front and slightly to the left of us. This caused a minor problem as our eyes went left on passing the mayor, whom none of us could see, let alone recognise, as we all totally lost the step. However, we were spared any embarrassment by an immediate halt, to enable some of the cadets to fall out for the next in the sequence of events.While Mr Gardner marched the others back to school, eight cadets, myself included, went with Mr Beggs and Mr Behnoudnia to the Guildhall for a reception hosted by the Mayor. On entering, we had our photograph taken, and were then ushered up the stairs to the council chamber, where we had the opportunity to talk to members of the town council, senior armed forces personnel who had been on parade, as well as members of other organisations.On behalf of all the attending cadets I thank Mr Beggs, Mr Gardner and Mr Behnoudnia for leading us on the parade, and I am very proud to have taken part in the Act of Remembrance under their command.

Cpl Matt Pugh, 5JG

Cooking for the Homeless

Cooking for 50 homeless people at St Stephen’s Church in Twickenham over the past two months has been an enriching and rewarding experience. Not only have I had the opportunity to give back to the community in a way that I am sure makes a huge difference to people’s lives, but I have also learnt how to cook new dishes, such as chilli con carne, sausage casserole and spaghetti bolognese, that will be great to make again at university next year. This community service choice is one I would definitely recommend and I’m looking forward to possibly attending the Christmas dinner that the church host for the homeless people in December.

Anna Hartley, U6

The Chemistry of Fireworks On 5th November the Chemistry Department hosted its biennial “Chemistry of Fireworks” event for first and second year students. This lunchtime seminar was well attended and students learnt about the chemical constituents of black powder as well as the design of construction of rockets, shells and sparklers. After a series of demonstrations, students were able to investigate for themselves the substances used to colour firework stars.

LHW

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European Day of Languages Poster Competition

In the last issue we reported on the European Day of Languages. Since then the winners of the poster competition promoting the learning of languages have been announced. Alex Smolenski and Tom Sayer of the Second Year won the first prize and the runners-up were Athena Kent-Egan (Second Year) and Finn Snow (Third Year).The judges were very impressed by the variety of reasons put forward as to why learning a language is a good idea and the thoughtful and informative presentation.

Spanish Exchange

This week we had Spanish exchange students over from Madrid. We met them in the Lovekyn Chapel and spent six days with them. They stayed at our houses and we went to school with them and they attended a few of our lessons and got a feel of what going to school in London was like. On Saturday night a whole group of the exchanges and us went bowling and had dinner together. We got to speak to other Spanish exchanges and chat about what they enjoyed most when coming to London.I really enjoyed meeting many of the other Spanish exchanges. We went to Stratford and went up the Orbit, which the exchanges and I loved; it was a really fun thing for us all to do and for them to see a different part of London. Both the Spanish and English people got a lot out of the first half of the exchange. Learning about the different cultures was really interesting and I look forward to seeing them again in Spain!Emilia Munns, 3NR

French ExchangeOn the 3rd October we met our French exchanges for the first time! They were not total strangers to me because we had had chatting online for a while. However, I was still very nervous. I was worried it was going to be awkward at first but they were fun and their English was very good. At the weekend we got to spend time together and really got to know each other. During the week they were generally on trips whilst I was in school, but I could look forward to all their stories in the evenings. I really loved having them here to stay and I can’t wait to see them again when I go to France in April.

Anouk Vaessen, 4SC


national poetry day winner

To celebrate this year’s national poetry day, staff and students were invited to write a poem on this year’s theme ‘Remembrance’. The winner was Eva Molchanova in the First Year. Here is her poem.

Remembrance No money, no money for my colouring bookBut Mama did magic, so let’s take a look.Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, oh what a surpriseWhen Mama had left me a whimsical prize.Warm cuddles, warm cuddles, I longed for each nightSo Mama would tell me “you’re such a delight!”Oh homework, oh homework, each night after schoolThen Mama would help me, and now I’m no fool.A brother, a brother, oh why do babies cry?Hush Mama would soothe him and I’d give a sigh.My goodness, my goodness, sometimes life was hardWhen Mama met Gerry, life dealt us a winning card.Fun shopping, fun shopping, my life now a dreamFor Mama and me can afford nice things and ice-cream.I’m blessed, I’m blessed to be surrounded with loveFrom a mama who cares, sent from heaven above.

Library NewsForbidden Planet Trip:

On Wednesday 15th October twelve students from 1st- 4th Year went on a trip to the Forbidden Planet book store in London. The Library has recently created a new graphic novel and manga section, which has been especially popular and has brought lots of new faces into the library. At the beginning of term students were asked to sign up if they were interested in a shopping trip to buy more stock. The trip was a huge success and we quickly filled a trolley with the students’ suggestions, a mix of manga, graphic novels and science fiction. The new stock is currently being added to the Library so do come in to check out what’s new.

Pupil Librarian of the month

The Librarians have decided to award Max Cairney-Leeming from the Third Year ‘pupil librarian of the month’. Max started as a pupil librarian in September and has really impressed with his enthusiasm and commitment to the Library. He quickly picked up how to use the library computer system and has been a great help issuing and discharging books. Max has just completed the first award in the SLA pupil librarian scheme and has created an amazing poster for the new Kobo e-readers coming soon to the Library.

Pupil Librarian competition

Zac Procter in the Fourth Year has been entered by his teachers and the librarians into a national competition to find the best school pupil librarian. Zac has been a pupil librarian for over two years and has impressed with his leadership skills and willingness to learn. He has recently been training all the new first year pupil librarians in how to use the library system and has created many displays and posters for the library. The winner of the competition will be announced in the next few months and we expect Zac to do very well.

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Music Pod Lands in Courtyard

The Music Pod has finally arrived, and the musicians have taken to it like ducks to water.

Mrs Sherwood developed the original idea and researched the company which produces the pods. Visits to a Central London showroom and a primary school followed in 2013, and we are extremely pleased that this project has now become a reality. The space is large enough for group rehearsals, one-to-one teaching, and practising. Students have commented that it is a “great performing and practising space and perfect size” (Sam Shapley, 4DB) and “It is a great place to practise your musical skills” (William Hewetson, 4HW). A launch event with live music and refreshments will be held on Friday 14 November from 1.15pm.

MVF

Junior Knitting Club Casts On!The Junior Knitting Club is new this term, specifically opened for First Years. We meet every Monday lunch time in GG1. Our members range from enthusiastic non-knitters to knitters of some experience.

Erin and Harry are both really enthusiastic knitters who learned to knit in their junior schools. They have already knitted their first project, a small purse/wallet mastering the art of casting on, using ‘knit’ and ‘purl’ stiches, producing button holes and casting off. Erin and Harry are now designing their next projects, Erin using beautiful pink mohair and Harry working on a wrist band. First Years who would like to join the club and either have a go at knitting for the first time or develop their skills would be very welcome. Just come along on Monday!AH

Rosclare Tea PartyLast half-term tutor group 2KC took part in a tea party with the Rosclare home in Kingston. Pupils and visitors alike had an excellent and enjoyable time playing bingo, listening to music and of course eating cakes. This opportunity is coming around the different tutor groups so make sure you look out for it so you can participate.

KC


Senior caretaker John Boyes proudly pulled on his Clan McKenzie tartan kilt and his cherished regimental glengarry to take his place in the Remembrance Day parade at the Cenotaph last Sunday.

Lance-Corporal John Boyes joined the 1st Battalion the Queen’s Own Highlanders, Seaforth and Cameron when he was just 17½, and served a full nine years and 101 days from 1972 to 1981 (the 101 days taking him up to his 18th birthday, which was when he should have joined!). He completed three tours of Northern Ireland and two of Belize, and spent five years in Germany, where his son, caretaker Johnny Boyes, was born.As this year marks such an important anniversary, it was decided that 50 veterans could join the regiment at the Cenotaph. Considering that 1,400 attended the most recent reunion, competition was likely to be fierce when the Facebook page for volunteers opened. John is proud to say he was the first to sign up. This was not an event he was going to miss.

It sounds like quite a weekend, starting with a ceilidh on Saturday night. After the parade, the veterans were fortunate enough to find a pub that, though normally closed on a Sunday lunchtime, was run by a woman whose father had been a Queen’s Own Highlander and she was thrilled to open up specially for their celebrations. Fortunately, John was not on early duty at KGS on Monday morning, but we were all very proud of him when he did appear and enjoyed hearing his stories and seeing the pictures that will be a treasured reminder for John and his family of a very special occasion.

PEOPLE

New Chair of Governors AnnouncedPaul Marsh, who joined the Governing Body in August 2011 as Chair of Governors, will stand down at the end of 2014. Mr Marsh has given his time generously to the School, and along with his duties as Chair, he was also Link Governor for the Library, PE and Sports.

During his tenure, investment in the School’s facilities has continued: the Fairfield Building was completely refurbished, significantly enhancing the academic facilities enjoyed by all pupils; the Boathouse was enlarged and remodelled to provide

a facility fit for purpose for the enlarged rowing community; the landscaping of the Quad and front of School provides an improved environment for the pupils to socialise during the day and allows for safer pedestrian access to our site; improvements to Ditton Field entailed the construction of a replacement synthetic turf hockey pitch and hockey practice area, a new and enlarged netball and tennis facility, cricket practice nets and an outdoor boat storage area.Mr Marsh’s experience as a distinguished Kingston lawyer and his deep connections with the town have been particularly valuable to the School over the past years, and under his leadership the Governors appointed Mr Lehec as the School’s new Head. He

will be greatly missed by the Governing Body.Mr Marsh is to be succeeded as Chair by Dermot Rice. Mr Rice read Law at Manchester University, graduating in 1981. He qualified as a solicitor in 1984, and spent almost 30 years in private practice in Central London, most notably as a partner of Slaughter and May, from 1991 until his retirement from the firm in October 2013. He now divides his time between a number of different interests, both commercial and voluntary. He has lived in Wimbledon for over 20 years, and his eldest daughter was a pupil at the School from 2003 to 2010. Mr Rice became a Governor in September 2010 and will serve as Chair for an initial term of three years from December 2014.

ENL

On Parade at the Cenotaph

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Molly’s West End Debut

Former School Captain Molly Hanson-Akins, who left in 2010, has landed her first professional role in Terence Rattigan’s ‘First Episode’ at the Jermyn Street Theatre.

Molly graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School just this summer, and could not have had a more propitious start to her career. She is the daughter of actor parents in Alexander Hanson, best known for his work in west-end musicals, and Samantha Bond, famous as Miss Moneypenny in four Bond films and her parts in, among much else, ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Outnumbered’. Using Hanson as her professional surname, Molly will be at the Jermyn Street Theatre until November 22nd, and has had very favourable reviews for bring ‘irresistible warmth’ and ‘a sense of fun’ to her role. As a result, tickets are already well-nigh impossible to come by. If anyone has any going spare we would love to hear from you!

Readers of these pages will be familiar with the name of Anthony Anderson – a cycling prodigy whose progress we have followed very closely over the years. Fifth-former Anthony has now taken a step closer to seeing his Olympic dream become reality and joining the ranks of so many illustrious forebears from the School who have represented their country at the pinnacle of competitive sport.

But Anthony can explain for himself:‘I was selected for the Great Britain Olympic Development Squad this October. To be selected the British Cycling coaches will have looked at me across the year and scrutinised my results. I have won 69 races in total, with 9 second places and 10 third places. ‘Being in the Great Britain Olympic Development Squad means I will have 21 training sessions with them this winter. There are only 8 people in my year, which includes the year above me, in the squad. This will mean a lot more racing abroad and in the team.’

Anthony Anderson – Future Olympian

Above: as Lady Macbeth in the School’s production of ‘Macbeth’Left: With mother Samantha Bond at Prizegiving


This year’s Partnership Chamber Music Project for the talented musicians of KGS kicked off in fine style with a lunchtime concert by the Maggini Quartet in the Lovekyn Chapel on 4th November.

The concert began with Mendelssohn’s Quartet in E flat, op. 12, confusingly written after his Quartet op. 13, and the audience were charmed by the beauty of the lyrical music. What was evident was the sense

of musical communication and conversation and the care and affection with which the members of the Maggini Quartet played it. They gave an interesting verbal introduction to the music, and also added some insightful and fascinating technical comments, particularly about the difficulties in intonation between the treble of the violin range and the bass of the cello in certain keys.

Chamber music is most engaging, but tends to be something of which many students have little or no live experience. It was an eye- and ear-opening concert for many of the audience, and to be able to sit almost as if within the quartet, and have an intimate understanding of how the players interact, was a fantastic experience. Goethe described chamber music as “four rational people conversing”; if all conversations were like this concert, the world would be a very happy place!

PH

THE ARTS

Piano Masterclass

Internationally renowned pianist Andreas Boyde performed an exciting lecture recital and held an inspiring master class for four of our advanced piano students on 5th November in the Hall at KGS. The master class concluded with a recital in the early evening.

All the students performed with beautiful tone, confident technique and intuitive musical phrasing: Anna Kimberley Djehanian performed the first movement from Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata; Kevin Liu played ‘The Man I love’ and ‘I Got Rhythm’ by Gershwin and Chopin’s ‘Fantasy Impromptu’; Cassie Quick performed ‘Conchita Reve’ by Turina; and Bijan Ghamsari played Tchaikovsky’s ‘Song of the Lark’, a Dance by Shostakovich and the first movement from Beethoven’s Sonata in Eb major. Mr Boyde then performed Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ with breath-taking technical and musical control to round off an exciting musical event.

MVF

Maggini Quartet Lunchtime Concert

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The Dining Hall was packed with excited parents easing their nerves with the help of the Music Society, and the Theatre was packed with excited pupils watching Anastasia on the big screen but, unlike the grown-ups, unable to take anything in.

Then the two groups came together in the Hall, the lights flickered with excitement, Mr Von Freyhold stepped forward and the magic began! First onto the stage were the First Orchestra, under the baton of Miss Hyde, with a spirited, lively rendition of ‘I Feel Pretty’ from Leonard Bernstein’s ‘West Side Story’, followed by Elgar’s ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ – a stirring performance that set the evening off in a happy and exuberant mood of celebration and filled the heart with pride.

The tripping Latin rhythms of ‘I Feel Pretty’ were picked up by Mrs Thurston’s Junior Guitar Ensemble. One tends not to think of the Classical Guitar as an ensemble instrument, but each time they perform the Senior and Junior groups show how versatile this instrument can be and how effective en masse. This time we enjoyed ‘Ay Ay Ay’ by Derek Hasted, based on a Mexican theme, in

which the dancing rhythms were complemented by some lovely lyrical passages –

beautifully done.

Junior Concert

There was a lilting lyricism too, as well as some real belting-out, in the Junior Girls’ Choir’s performance of ‘Skyfall’ – both heartfelt and gutsy and delivered ‘con brio’. It was great to see that this group were directed by middle-school pupils Olivia Merrington and Fiona Kennedy, both of the Fourth Year. What a fantastic opportunity for them and the girls they were in charge of; the enthusiasm of the choir showed what a good job the pair had done and how much the younger pupils had enjoyed the experience. It was fascinating to see Olivia and Fiona conducting together – an unusual arrangement that, said Olivia, ‘was not meant to work but it did.’

Photos by Rajiv Sukhdev


Another Fourth Year pupil, George Casci, took charge of the Jazz Band, which he has been the de facto leader of since it formed when George and most of the band were in the First Year. It has been very rewarding to watch this group grow and develop, its members changing a little over the years but the core remaining constant, and judging by this performance they really have arrived. This concert’s offering was the Herbie Hancock classic ‘Watermelon Man’ and we were treated to a real ‘wall of sound’ from the ensemble, founded on a rock-solid rhythm section of Lucy Roberts on bass and Zach Procter on drums, with blaring saxophone playing from Rebecca Holt and Sophie Bien-Nowakowski and some stunning solos from, on the trombone, Thomas Reed, Will Lloyd on piano, Peter Dawson and Josh Hill on trumpet and finally, on sax, the man himself, George Casci. Wow!

And then the grand finale, the part of the evening most of the audience had really come to see, the annual extravaganza that is the first, the last, the for-one-night-only and never-to-be-repeated, once-in-a-lifetime performance of the musical may-fly that is the First Year Choir. This is always a real spectacle - 112 treble voices giving their all and loving it - almost as much as their parents! This year it was a selection of songs from Tim Minchin’s hit musical ‘Matilda’, directed by Mr Tierney and arranged by last year’s School Captain (and current member of the Music Department) Josh Selimi and cleverly linked together by a skilful narration written by one of the choir, Penny Cairney-Leeming, and delivered with great aplomb by the Head of First Year, Mrs Hetherington. What can one say? There was a lovely variety in the selection, with the cheeky fun of ‘Naughty’ (‘Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty’), the wistful optimism of ‘When I Grow Up’ and the gentle, lyrical warmth of ‘My House’, but the bit we will all remember and the choir clearly relished the most was the (literally) show-stopping ‘Revolting Children’. ‘We are revolting children,’ the pupils sang with gusto. ‘We’ll be revolting children until our revolting’s done!’ and the delighted audience cheered to the echo and an encore (there could have been any number!). It was hard to tell who was loving it more! It was a sensational end to a superb evening, and our thanks go to all those who took part or helped backstage and the Music Department for all their hard work and especially Mr Tierney, whose baby the whole evening was. When you see so many people performing, whether it is in the orchestra or the choirs, the ensemble or the bands, it really does make for a very special occasion. Revolting children? Not a bit of it!

NDB

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In Memory of Oli

On Friday 3rd October, students from across the School got together in the Theatre for a variety show in memory of our friend Oli Davis.

A multitude of performers gave wonderful performances to entertain the audience and a good time was had by all, including the guests of honour: Oli’s parents. An amazing total of £512.21 was raised for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Thank you to all the performers and contributors who gave generously to make this event such a success.

U6JHPhotos by Ben Cave


On Friday 3rd October, students from across the School got together in the Theatre for a variety show in memory of our friend Oli Davis.

A multitude of performers gave wonderful performances to entertain the audience and a good time was had by all, including the guests of honour: Oli’s parents. An amazing total of £512.21 was raised for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Thank you to all the performers and contributors who gave generously to make this event such a success.

U6JHPhotos by Ben Cave

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The Kingston Revue 2014

(With aplogies for the mangled scansion and affronts to rhyme and the rules of poetic form and style)

Kingston Revue - a night in NovemberNow etched in the heart for us all to remember.Jamie and Miranda compered the showIn that special way that only they know.First Josh and Eddie did the Woman in BlackAnd then we had a song from young Daisy Kakk-ar and comic sketches followed from Clara and Sophie, Lucy and Lydia, Anna and Matti With a bit of Miranda by Em’ly and Kitty.There was brilliant playing and singing galoreFrom Gaia and Emilie and Portia Katzauer, And Lauren and Ellen and Tillie and TashZac Sampson dash Regal and P. Pissaro dashJensen and fabulous young Kian Das.And Tillie and Millie and Jess were a trioAnd Suzi – sensation! - ukulele con brio.Then Charlotte and Erin, pre-interval featuresBefore all the jigging about from the teachers.And after the break, Cobras leading the cheersMuch pommel-waving by fifteen first yearsAnd sketches by Pinter, whose humour is black,From Edward and Luca and Rory and JackAnd dancing from Matti and Will (more robotic)And singing from Anna was truly hypnotic.Sam, Kate, Aoife, Sophie and Miranda WorthAll sang like angels, quite moving the Earth.Add Rodgers, Mackay and songs from Pink Floyd And Sam Kan’s Stage Door equals joy unalloyed.A final word for the stunning last turnFrom Lucy and Min-Woong and J. Hendrix Bern:The Banned were the Experience – it beggared beliefAnd we loved it when Rob played guitar with his teeth.So well done to all, Mr Crohill, the crew,We had a ball and it’s all down to you.The talent at Kingston shone never so bright,To quote Frankie Valli – ‘Oh what a night!’

Anon (and on and on)

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Pupils’ Songs Given Studio Treatment

At the end of the Summer Term, the second years are asked to compose a piece of music as part of their examination. They have the freedom to compose anything as long as it contains a specific chord sequence.

As part of a new tradition at KGS, each year the best composition is selected and produced in my studio over the summer break. The intention is to give one group the experience of having their song or composition transformed into a professional sounding production to match their original vision. Last year saw the production of the fantastic song ‘I’ll Be Found’ by Jemima Baker and Isobel Thom.This year, the competition was fierce and choosing a winning song was difficult. In the end, I could not decide between two songs and opted to produce both of them. On top of that, I was so impressed with a song by two first years that I decided to produce that as well.It was a very busy summer, with each song taking approximately 300 hours of production time, but the result was well worth it. The finished songs are: ‘Run’ by Tillie Piolini-Castel and Meg Francis ‘Hope For Love’ by Daisy Kakkar and Kimberley Djehanian ‘Insomnia’ by Erin Kavanagh, Charlotte Smith and Aoife D’MelloWe are very proud of the results and of the extremely talented musicians at KGS. You can hear the finished songs here (if you are reading this online) or by scanning the QR code on the right.

JJT

https://soundcloud.com/sequencekomplete


Spink Auction House

“I had just lost a deal worth three million pounds profit to the company… I just had to get out of the office… I played the worst game of golf of my life… but I returned to the office the next day ready for the next case… I just had to get it out of my system!”

These phrases were just a snapshot from the insight into the world of auctioneering that several students, teachers, parents and alumni experienced during their time at Spink Auction House. Personal accounts from the Spink team not only revealed their love and passion for their work but also the unique competitive team spirit of their company.Spink generously allowed KGS members to delve deep into their vaults in an exclusive event. On arrival, we were struck by the vast range of artefacts, from old bank notes to the gold plate for President

Clinton himself. Students and parents alike were able to converse with the Spink specialists who provided detail not only into the daily life at Spink but also their unique pathway into the industry. Many of us stared with jaws dropped at the solid mass of gold presented ever so casually by the team members and felt our hearts race when they joked that the person who could guess the price right could keep it. I was out by about £3,000, so thegold, worth £23,000, was sadly returned to the vault. The night was concluded by a guided tour of the facilities, including a private tour of the onsite auction room. Before we knew it the night was going, going, gone!

So whether you went to indulge in a secret passion for coins, medals and the vast range of canapés, or to seek information into a potential career Spink did not fail to deliver. Once again, KGS Careers managed to prove their ability to provide students with a diverse range of opportunities to explore their future.

Georgia Jones, U6SG

TRIPS

Air Experience Flight

Having arrived at school at 6:30 we got on the bus, feeling quite tired. A few hours later we arrived at RAF Benson. We first did the safety brief before getting suited up for the thrilling ride. Everyone got a turn to control the plane and some people even did aerobatics such as loops, barrel-rolls and stall turns.

After we had all flown we ate lunch and drove home. it was a very good trip and one that will long be remembered.Daniel Sykes 3NR

Christian Union Weekend

At the end of half term, some Fifth Year boys from the Christian Union enjoyed a packed weekend of activities and Bible studies at a beautiful farmhouse in East Sussex. The theme was ‘What does life as a Christian look like?’ and the fun was non-stop, with Old Kingstonians Liam Gardner and Paul Angell returning to help run the proceedings.

Saturday afternoon saw us try out some mountain-boarding, though given the weather it was more like mud-boarding, but we had a fun time getting to grips with the basic skills and trying out some jumps. On Sunday the major highlight was the big match: West Ham United took on Manchester United in another mud bath, which turned into an 18 goal thriller decided by a dramatic penalty shoot-out in which West Ham prevailed 2-1. We met together four times over the two days for Bible studies in the book of Ephesians, a challenging but exciting read. After a final clear up on Sunday afternoon, happy and exhausted we hit the road for home, stopping off at McDonald’s for the perfect way to round off a great weekend.CGW

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Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

From wet, windy weekends in Guildford, to waist-deep bogs in the New Forest and Hurricane ‘Gonzalo’ within the mist on Dartmoor, it’s fair to say Duke of Edinburgh at KGS is a fantastic experience. While the five-day expedition is both physically and mentally tough, as a group we learnt the vital skill of navigation and its importance when under pressure. Having passed the expedition in October I’m delighted that I took part in this incredible opportunity and would certainly recommend it to anybody thinking about it. It teaches determination, leadership, teamwork, navigation and is genuinely impressive on CVs and university applications while providing much to talk about in an interview. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile experience!

Matt Maginnis U6RJS

AS Geography Trip to the Cranedale Centre, North Yorkshire

Immediately prior to half-term, the Lower Sixth Geographers embarked on the lengthy journey North to Kirby Grindalythe, a quaint North Yorkshire village home to the renowned Cranedale Field Studies Centre. Over the course of three demanding, but enjoyable days, pupils undertook a variety of activities preparing them for their Unit 2 skills exam.

The main focus of the fieldtrip was to undertake practical work in the field, measuring the River Derwent’s changes

downstream, to try and quantify Bradshaw’s Model. Due to the inclement antecedent weather conditions, it was only possible to safely enter the river upstream of Bloody Beck, but students were also able to view incised meanders and floodplains further downstream.

A secondary focus of the trip was to investigate flood defences in the region, culminating in a pleasant walk along the banks of the Derwent in Pickering and Malton. On returning to KGS, the Lower Sixth have been writing up the Six Stages of Geographical Enquiry, and are now developing the rest of the statistical, graphical and cartographic skills required by the AQA exam syllabus, ahead of their trial exams in December.

JHW


New York City Art and Drama TripNot quite 7am, and unsurprisingly crisis number one presents 24 people standing in Terminal 5 with only 23 passports. Given that they were nearly all art and drama students, though, this was pretty good going, and everyone was too busy instagramming and listing the shoes they’d brought to really mind. Coffees, bottles of shampoo, magazines – everyone was rushing around in an attempt to make the imminent seven hour flight a little more manageable, but it would be completely worth it.

Five days later and we’d be back there again. Five days later and we smelt of exhaustion. Five days later and we’d made our mark on one of the most iconic places in the world – New York City.The first thing you notice stepping out of the subway is the scale. The average tower along Lexington Avenue soars above the tallest skyscrapers in London. The aggressively straight avenues and streets leap from one side of the island to the other and pull the eye right to the horizon. The sight is all the more surreal from above, and looking out from the city’s lighthouse, the Empire State, was truly beyond words, like playing God over a child’s model.The flexibility we were allowed meant everybody had time in the programme do what they wanted most. Whether it was shopping on Canal Street, seeing a show on Broadway, exploring Greenwich Village or relaxing in Central Park, we were always busy and always sick with enchantment. Personally the walk across the Manhattan Bridge at sunset will stay with me for a long time. Mr Dyson, Mr Crohill and Miss Christie planned an equally

brilliant set of things to do each day, from visiting the Met, the Guggenheim and the MoMa, to watching a class at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and eating out in Hell’s Kitchen.I was struck as well by the inexplicable peace that sits in New York, and definitely not the English countryside kind. Walking the High Line at night and watching the cars speed along Tenth Avenue underneath you, or seeing the buildings sail past from the

Hudson River boat trip, or taking in the iconic view of the glimmering financial district from the Brooklyn Bridge, it’s undeniable the sense of calm and serenity it gives, despite the noise, the cars and the people. It is the city where people have

gone for centuries to ‘start anew’. Whereas London feels disorganised and ancient, the layout of New York is ordered and future-bound and its towers are steadfast as mountains in a storm.The problem with New York,

though, is that, more so than London, it’s enormous. With a population fast approaching 9 million the city is far wider than the riverbanks of Manhattan. The other boroughs aren’t nearly as bad as their reputation suggests any more. Every hour of our five days there was crammed to the brim, but we all agreed that New York isn’t the kind of city you can only visit once. And so to quote John Lennon “It might be

dying, and there might be a lot of dirt in the air you breathe, but this is where it’s happening.”Ben Cave, U6JADPhotos by Tom Whittle, U6LHW

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SPORT

ROWING

Over half term the rowers continued with training, with all year groups having sessions at the boathouse. As well as training, the boat club competed at Weybridge Silver Sculls and the Fours’ Head of the River.

At Weybridge Silver Sculls, in challenging conditions and with over 600 crews entered over four divisions, the J15 squad raced well. The pick of the results were third place for Cameron Spurling in J15 singles, who then also picked up a fifth place in the Boys’ J15 double with Thomas Reed. The girls’ double of Jessica Pringle and Florence Haly also came fifth in their event. Jessica and Florence showed the importance of pre-race preparation having taken the time to walk along the river bank along the course prior to their race to learn the best line to take during the race, proving preparation pays off!

On the final weekend of half term the senior squad raced at the Fours’ Head of the River. The Fours’ Head sees crews from all over the UK race, including many crews that contain some of GB Rowing’s stars from the London 2012 Olympic Games. It is a rare opportunity in school sport to compete directly with Olympic champions, and the rowers are lucky to be able to be part of events like this. Whilst the results weren’t spectacular all the KGS athletes who raced came away with some important lessons learnt, and this is the key reason for racing this term.

Looking ahead, the term ends with lots of racing for the KGS athletes with Kingston Head, Teddington Head and Hampton Head all on the horizon. As well as that a handful of KGS athletes have reached the ergo standard to take part in stage one of the GB trialling process. This is a long and arduous process with final selections being made next July, and we wish those who have embarked on this journey every success.

PJS


Olympic Dream Team

On Monday 13th October, our Sports Scholars attended a presentation at Tiffin School by British Olympians Robbie Brightwell MBE and Ann Packer MBE. The pair were hailed as the golden couple of British athletics when they competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.

In his presentation Robbie conveyed a very clear message about the need to keep fit, pointing to the crisis emerging from obesity. The part played by technology and the likelihood of four year olds still being wheeled around in their buggies instead of being encouraged to walk had a lot to answer for. There was recognition of underfunding in British sport and the impact of a generation who have sadly been brought up to think that competition in school sport is best avoided. The highlight of Robbie’s life, however, rests with not his own but his wife Ann’s athletic triumphs. As well as captaining the British Athletics team at the Tokyo Games and winning a silver medal, Robbie had the delight of watching his fiancé - PE teacher Ann - steal the limelight, winning silver in the 400m and then gold in the 800m having never previously run an international race at this distance. Our Sports Scholars were enthralled to watch footage of the race itself and cheered as Ann crossed the line and ran into the arms of her captain and future husband! The pair married soon after the Games, which were to be Ann’s first and last. She decided to retire while on top and concentrate on family life, eventually giving birth to three sons.Gary Brightwell followed in his mother Ann’s footsteps by also becoming a 400m runner, while younger sons Ian and David both went on to play for Manchester City. Robbie, meanwhile, followed his time in athletics with an eventful career spanning education, local government and business (spearheading Adidas through a period of meteoric growth and launching and establishing Le Coq Sportif UK Ltd in 1980). Robbie and Ann’s story was totally engaging for our young athletes. Thank you to Tiffin School for sharing their inspirational guests. SC

Digest David’s Top Tips

On Monday 22nd September our Sports Scholars were invited to a presentation by top Sports Nutritionist David Dunn. The evening began with a talk to the athletes and their parents about the importance of how an athlete should fuel. Having the right nutritional plan can make the difference between finishing strongly at the end of an event and hitting the wall.

Clearly one of the key ways for any individual to maintain good health and improve quality of life and longevity is to eat a healthy, balanced diet. This, combined with an active lifestyle is what we would encourage for all our students. A balanced diet is based on fruit, vegetables and whole grains, with smaller amounts of lean meat, fish, nuts, eggs and dairy foods. Foods high in fat or sugar should form the smallest part of a healthy diet. David highlighted that for our young athletes to train regularly and compete they must choose to eat a diet that provides all the key nutrients for growth and the additional energy requirement for training and performing in their event.Following David’s presentation there was a lengthy question and answer session in which the scholars quizzed the Sports Nutritionist on everything from drinking cherry juice to help you sleep to the myth behind the ever popular protein shake! It was decided that further on in the school year the scholars would be invited to a practical session – not on the school field but in the school kitchen! So … watch this space for more news of that event. Everyone was invited to finish the evening by indulging in some (not quite so healthy but much enjoyed) snacks before heading home to digest David’s top tips!SC

Sport Scholars’ Programme

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Our first match was against Tiffin, great drag flicks from Saffi Martineau followed by deflections after great build up play from the whole team giving Kingston a secure 4-0 win. Next we played Alleyns. Continuing our attacking streak we were able to secure an early goal after the opposition gave away a corner after great work from Holly Brown and Immy Mobley. Excellent work down the right from Emma Headley produced rich outcomes and a 5-1 win. Lastly, we played Epsom. This game was the hardest of the three, not shown by the score line, but we demonstrated true determination and continued to battle into the circle. Secure defensive work from Paula Borkmann and Kirsten Read meant Kingston kept a clean sheet for this game and ran out winners by 3-0.

In the semi-final we faced JAGS, who came out strong, putting us under immediate pressure. Picking the ball up at the back it was passed to Holly Munro who took it wide up the right before cutting back in field to score on her reverse. Despite continuous defending, a counter attack meant keeper Lou-Lou Backhouse-Spriggs was outnumbered and they equalised. We entered the second half at 1-1 piling on the pressure and Holly Munro scored a second. In the final ten minutes Holly received a great pass from Ellie De Heer and drove into the D to get her hat-trick. We were through to the Finals!

n the finals we faced Reed’s. It was a tough game from the outset with many balls being hit across goal by Emma Headley and narrowly missing the goal. After battling for most of the game, our persistence paid off. Holly Munro charged down the right wing and hit a dangerous ball across to Holly Brown who popped a reverse stick deflection into the top corner. We won 1-0 and were through to the South Tournament

A good start to a tournament is important and Kingston didn’t disappoint creating chances from the off. In the first match, against Bradfield, it wasn’t long before Holly Munro was able to convert one of these chances. Kingston continued to pack on the pressure, playing with good shape and playing attacking hockey, balls being fed through from Natasha Thomas. A good initial save from the Bradfield keeper from a Martineau drag flick was swept up and put in convincingly by captain Emma Headley. Final score Kingston 2 Bradfield 0. The tournament had started in fine form.

In the second match we were up against King Edward VI School. They were strong opposition and fought hard. However, we dominated the game. We had many chances that we very nearly put away, especially one where Anna Cox intercepted a misdirected pass and smashed the ball across the goal to Ellie De Heer, who dived dramatically. Unfortunately, Ellie just missed out and it went off the back line for a hit out.

The score remained at 0-0 until the last minute with Holly Brown getting a foot in the D to win us a corner in the last play of the match. Saffi Martineau stopped a perfect injection from Emma Headley with Holly Munro drag flicking to the top left corner for Emma to deflect in. 1-0 to Kingston at the critical moment.

In the final match Kingston played the hosts, Bloxham School, knowing a win would guarantee a place in the semi-finals. After 1 minute 34 seconds Kingston were 1-0 up after Holly Munro took it from the half way line and, despite some agricultural challenges, emerged and smashed a back hand to the bottom right hand corner. The second goal followed a few minutes later from an interchange of passes between Meg

and Lauren. A third goal followed, scored by Holly Brown, which was great credit to the team as over 20 substitutions had been made in the first half. The second half continued in a similar vein, two further goals being added after some great forward movement from Zoe, our debutant, and the forward line pulling apart the fullbacks allowing Steph to capitalise on Kingston’s good possession on the ball. In the dying seconds Paula Borkmann decided to attempt a professional foul on their centre forward and conceded a penalty stroke and a yellow card, but Lou Lou rounded off a perfect day by saving and thus completing a third successive clean sheet. Kingston ended with a 5-0win. It was an excellent performance by the whole squad.

Emma Headley (C), Lauren Lever, oe Lowery, Holly Munro, Tash Thomas, Anna Cox, Kirsten Reed, Saffi Martineau, Ellie De Heer, Holly Brown, Steph Semple, Paula Borkmann, Olivia Arnold, Lou Lou Backhouse-Spriggs (GK), Meg Hugill, Immy Mobley.

Holly Munro, L6EKP

U18 Girls London Heats

Hockey


U16 GirlsLondon and Surrey Tournament

The U16 girls’ hockey team took part in the London and Surrey Tournament very early on in the season, in late October. After being given the opportunity to go straight to London finals, we were up against Wimbledon High in the semi finals. However, they failed to show up, so we were already in the final (and therefore already through to South regional round) without even playing a single match ! In the final, we played Surbiton High, who were a strong side, but we managed to break them down a number of times. However, we failed to deliver the final product and put the ball in the back of the net. We let in two cheap goals, which sent us through in second place to the South tournament three weeks later.

The South tournament took place on the 5th November, the first Wednesday back after half term. We still had only played one match together, and we arrived at a cold, frosty Epsom College without any training as a team. We had a small warm-up, but soon got under the way in our first match versus Bradfield College. We got off to a good start with Sophie Gallagher forcing a good save from the Bradfield keeper in the opening minutes, although we went into half time 1-0 down after we were beaten on the counter attack. Sophie Gallagher had a goal disallowed following a short corner, which was deemed to be outside the D when it was hit. We came out fighting in the second half, but conceded a goal from a short corner to settle the game for Bradfield, 2-0 at full time. Our next game was against Ardingly College, who were also a strong side. We got off to a terrible start, conceding within the first minute, and then two more shortly after. We went into half time 4-0 down and with our confidence in tatters. After half time, our game improved, but was still not enough to break down the Ardingly defence, and they managed to score one more goal before the full time whistle. Our final game was against CLFS, whom we had played before and had a good idea of what to expect. However, we were thoroughly mistaken, and after again conceding in the first five minutes, we pressed on to get a goal back, but without success. The game was about even throughout, although some good moving of the ball from Jasmin Werner, Charly James, and Katie Headley showed what we had been missing over the past few games. In the dying moments of the game, Holly Godliman had a well worked chance, 1 on 1 with the keeper, which was unfortunately saved.It was great to play with the girls in the year above, but we were unhappy not to progress further.

Eva Gray 4MB

U14 Girls London heats and London finals

On Thursday the 9th of October the U14 girls played their London tournament. We were up against Alleyn’s, Clapham and Streatham HS and Epsom College. We had three convincing wins, which put us at the top of our group going into the London Finals at St George’s.

Our first match in the Finals was against Surbiton High, whom we beat 2-0. The first goal was a nice play from Aoife and Lucy passing well all the way and putting the ball neatly in the corner of the goal. This meant we were through to South round, but we still had to play one last match against Alleyn’s to determine who would be in first and second place. We won this with a very impressive 7-1 scoreline due to a great team effort, including three second years helping us out and one player coming back from injury. This put us first in our group going through to play in the Regionals and hopefully even further from there.

Sally Sime 3PS

Dutch visit to KGS

On the first Monday of the October half term, three Dutch teams from Wageningen MHC arrived at Ditton Field to challenge Kingston Grammar School hockey once more in a set of matches that would culminate in some mixed, but mostly positive results.

The U14A boys were the most successful team, beating the Dutch 4-0 and 2-1; followed by the U15 girls who lost their first game but edged to a 1-0 victory in the second meeting of the two teams; unfortunately the U14B boys lost both matches. The Dutch also played matches against Surbiton HC and Teddington HC, again with mixed outcomes. All three KGS teams were faced with intense, fast-paced Dutch hockey, where it was tricky to find mistakes to exploit and space on the field to use to our advantage. However, it wasn’t all competition; there was a disco the night before the Dutch left, as well as KGS pupils and their respective exchanges going out to Kingston for din-ner and meeting up after matches. The language barrier was easy to overcome and the friendly nature of the trip ensured it ran smoothly. It’s not difficult to understand why this exchange has happened year in, year out for nearly thirty years; and thanks must go to all the parents and staff who helped in any way at all to make the visit a success. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all who particip-ated – KGS and WMHC players – and hopefully the current Second and Third Year boys will enjoy the trip to Holland at Easter as much as the U15 girls did last year.

Fiona Kennedy, 4DB

STOP PRESSU14 South Heats Results:3-0 vs Stowe; 6-0 vs Bloxham; 2-1 vs St Mary’s AscotKGS now through to the South Finals.

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International HonoursCongratulations to the magnificent seven KGS pupils who have caught the selectors’ eyes in their various sports.

In hockey, five players have been selected for England squads: Ronan Harvey-Kelly, Zach Wallace, Owen Williamson and Ellie de Heer at U16 level, and Holly Munro at U18. They will all be attending a further assessment weekend at Lilleshall on the weekend of 15th/16th November and we wish them every success.Meanwhile, fourth-form cricketer Eva Gray will be joining the England Women’s Development Programme at U15 level. The programme is predominantly based at the National Cricket Performance Centre (NCPC), Loughborough, and is delivered by high quality coaches and sport science and medicine specialists, led by Caroline Foster as Head Coach. The aim of the programme is to develop the skills, characteristics and behaviours associated with world’s best cricketers to ensure England continue to win key series and ICC global events. With Anthony Anderson in cycling (see p. 8) and a number of rowers having reached the first stage of GB selection, the School’s future as a sporting power-house punching well above its weight in international representation looks assured. Our congratulations and best wishes to all of them.

KGS newsletter November 2014

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Transcript of KGS newsletter November 2014